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More than 114 million people worldwide have been forced to flee their homes by the end of September 2023, due to conflict, persecution and human rights violations, UN refugee agency UNHCR said on Wednesday.

War in Ukraine and conflicts in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Myanmar, drought, floods and insecurity in Somalia, as well as a prolonged humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan have been the main drivers of the alarming new total.

Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, expressed his concern, stating that “globally, far too many conflicts are proliferating or escalating, shattering innocent lives and uprooting people.”

“The international community’s inability to solve conflicts or prevent new ones is driving displacement and misery. We must look within, work together to end conflicts and allow refugees and other displaced people to return home or restart their lives,” he urged.

As of June, the number of forcibly displaced individuals worldwide stood at 110 million, marking an increase of 1.6 million from the end of 2022. 

Moreover, between June and the end of September, an additional four million were estimated to have been forcibly displaced, bringing the total to 114 million.

UNHCR’s report does not encompass the consequences of the Israel-Palestine conflict that ignited on October 7, as it fell beyond the report’s scope.

The report also revealed that low and middle-income countries bore the burden of hosting three-quarters of those in need of international protection.

More than 100,000 Armenians were forced to flee their homes in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in the wake of its violent seizure by Azerbaijan in mid-September.